How Does ChatGPT Work? Yes, SEO Counts!

🤖 How Does ChatGPT Work? And Why Schema and EEAT Matter More Than Ever

By Mariana Franco

Let’s get real for a moment.

We’re not just asking how does ChatGPT work out of curiosity. We’re asking because we need to understand how to get mentioned on ChatGPT, show up in AI-generated content, and future-proof our visibility.

🧠 How Does ChatGPT Work?

ChatGPT and similar tools like Gemini, Bing Copilot, and Perplexity run on LLMs, or large language models. These models are trained on massive datasets, learning how language works by predicting the most likely next word in a sentence, not by storing or “knowing” facts. That means their answers are based on probabilities, not certainty.

Even from the start, that led to a mix of results: some accurate, others completely made up (aka hallucinations). You’d often get an answer that sounded confident, but wasn’t always grounded in reality.

But that’s changing.

Here’s what the latest generation of LLMs is doing:

  1. Combining conversational AI with real-time search results
    ChatGPT now pulls Bing search results into its responses. That means it can give up-to-date info and reduce hallucinations.
  2. Starting to fact-check using structured knowledge
    Think of it as a “machine-readable Wikipedia,” multiplied by thousands. This includes Google’s Knowledge Graph, Wikipedia, Wikidata, and well-structured brand sources.
  3. Triangulating from three key layers:
    • The chatbot (conversation engine)
    • The search index (fresh info)
    • A knowledge graph (trusted facts)

So if you’re wondering how to appear in ChatGPT results—you need to influence those three layers.

📈 EEAT and Schema: Your Keys to Getting Mentioned in ChatGPT

To get mentioned on ChatGPT or other AI assistants, you need to play the long game. And that starts with two powerful tools:

1. EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

ChatGPT and other LLMs pull from trusted sources. If your brand isn’t showing up in authoritative, consistent, high-quality places, you’re invisible to the machine.

Focus on:

  • Publishing under real names with bios
  • Building a content presence on authoritative sites
  • Aligning with your niche expertise

Remember: Google’s Knowledge Graph doesn’t care about vibes. It cares about facts.

2. Schema Markup: Speak Machine

Schema isn’t for your users—it’s for the machines. Adding structured data to your site helps LLMs:

  • Understand your content
  • Link it to entities (people, companies, topics)
  • Position you as the right answer

Want to be included in ChatGPT, Google SGE, or Bing Copilot? Start with:

  • Organization and Person schema
  • Article, Product, and FAQ markup
  • sameAs links to trusted profiles (Wikipedia, Crunchbase, LinkedIn)

Schema is the language of AI. Use it, or you won’t be heard.

🧭 How to Get Mentioned on ChatGPT: A Simplified Strategy

Here’s your roadmap:

  1. Optimize your brand for EEAT
    • Build real profiles. Create trust. Get quoted in the right places.
  2. Add schema to every relevant page
    • Articles, product pages, team bios: structure it all.
  3. Distribute branded content strategically
    • YouTube, LinkedIn, podcast directories, authoritative blogs. The more clear signals you send, the better.
  4. Claim your entity
    • Use tools like Kalicube Pro or manual processes to influence the Knowledge Graph.
  5. Track visibility, not just traffic
    • If you’re getting quoted in AI answers, but traffic is dropping? You’re still winning.

🧨 Why SEOs Need to Think Bigger (and Braver)

Here’s the thing: while many SEOs are still obsessing over canonicals and crawl errors (and don’t get me wrong, those matter), they’re ignoring the elephant in the SERP.

AI is changing how people search, how they find products, and how they make decisions.

If your brand isn’t represented in the conversational layer (LLMs), the real-time search layer, and the trusted knowledge graph layer—you’re out of the loop.

And if you’re not in the loop, you’re not in the answer.

🛠️ Want Help Showing Up in the AI Layer?

We work with brands that want to future-proof their online presence, not just for Google, but for the entire ecosystem of AI assistants and search-driven chatbots.

Let’s make sure your brand is part of the conversation.
Book a strategy session or learn more about our services.

🧵In Short: Understanding AIs and Ranking on LLMs

  • How does ChatGPT work? → LLMs + search + knowledge graph
  • Want to get mentioned in ChatGPT? → Build EEAT + structure with schema
  • Ignore this shift and you’ll disappear from future SERPs
  • Act now and your brand becomes the go-to answer for AI search

The machines are listening. The question is: what are you telling them?

Watch: How does ChatGPT work: Become Part Of Its Knowledge!

In a recent conversation with Jason Barnard, we broke down what’s actually happening under the hood of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs). Spoiler: it’s not magic: it’s structured information at scale, and yes, it’s powered by things like schema markup and EEAT.

About the Author: Maryanna Franco

Maryanna Franco is an experienced SEO consultant with over 15 years working in Digital Marketing. She is the founder of BrilliantSEO, an SEO agency based in Slovenia with a focus on SEO that brings higher conversions.

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